AfriGeneas States Research Forum

[MD] CALL AND BE HEARD-MT. AUBURN CEMETERY-BALTIMORE

I hope that many of you located in Baltimore saw the two Fox 45 news stories on Mt Auburn and the subsequent face to face interview with the representative of Sharp Street Church (the "stewarts" of the Mt Auburn Cemetery), aired over the last two days.

The news station coverage clearly showed a casket that had been unearthed with bones scattered around it in one place and scattered bones through-out the cemetery. Could these remains be my relatives? your relatives? When asked about it the representative, Rev. Dellyne Hinton, responded that "it was trash bought there from somewhere else and dumped" in the back of their cemetery. She also stated that she did not know how the cemetery got to this condition and that "perputal" care was NEVER a part of the cemetery. She said that families are now and always have been responsible for the care of the plots.

We, as citizens that have family there, know that many of our relatives DID pay for perpetual care. We also know that as consumers that the owners of any property, let alone Sharp Street and Mt Auburn, are responsible for "Reasonable Care and Maintenance". (It's kind of like having a "slum lord" as your landlord.) This would enable us to at least get to the graves of our relatives. But as it stands now, you have to fight trash, trees, weeds, animals etc. and then, because of virtually no record keeping by Sharp Street, guess where you think your relatives are buried.

Why can't this be done the right way! With all the money collected and manpower put into this over the years, I for one, do not understand how it got this way. Regardless, the church should step up to the plate and restore and preserve Mt. Auburn the correct way. They obviously have not been good "management" for the cemetery. The answers and solutions are right in front of their faces and they refuse to see them.

Then call Fox 45,(410)467-4545, or any news station, paper or the Mayor's office (410) 396-3835 and express your feelings to them. Calling the church has really done no good. They can't hear us for what ever reason.